Hosta plant names ‘Cat and Mouse’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of hybrid  Hosta  named ‘Cat and Mouse’, characterized by its miniature plant size, its mounded plant habit, its round, glaucous leaves that are variegated with yellow-green center with blue-green margins in spring with the centers turning brighter and the margins turning greener in summer and its white flowers striped with lavender emerging in early summer on erect flower scapes.

Botanical classification: Hosta hybrida.

Cultivar designation: ‘Cat and Mouse’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, Hosta ‘Cat and Mouse’, relates to a new anddistinct cultivar of Hosta, botanically known as a Hosta hybrida, andhereinafter will be referred to by its cultivar name ‘Cat and Mouse’.

The inventor discovered the new cultivar, ‘Cat and Mouse’, in spring of2004 in a tissue culture lab in Waseca, Minn. ‘Cat and Mouse’ originatedas a naturally occurring chimeral mutation of Hosta ‘Blue Mouse Ears’(not patented).

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by theInventor utilizing in vitro propagation in Waseca, Minn. in August of2006. Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by division and tissueculture has shown that the unique features of ‘Cat and Mouse’ are stableand reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed in trials inMinnesota for a period of four years and represent the characteristicsof the new cultivar. These attributes in combination distinguish ‘Catand Mouse’ as a new and unique cultivar of Hosta.

-   -   1. ‘Cat and Mouse’ is a miniature Hosta that exhibits round        leaves of thick substance with a glaucous bloom.    -   2. ‘Cat and Mouse’ exhibits variegated foliage having        yellow-green center with blue-green margins in spring with the        centers turning brighter and the margins turning greener in        summer. Margins are highly glaucous.    -   3. The plant habit of ‘Cat and Mouse’ is mounded.    -   4. ‘Cat and Mouse’ reaches a height of about 7.6 cm (exclusive        of flower scapes) and a spread of about 15.2 cm.    -   5. ‘Cat and Mouse’ blooms in early summer with white flowers        that are striped with lavender and held on erect flower scapes.

In comparison to the parent plant ‘Blue Mouse Ears’, ‘Cat and Mouse’ isvariegated whereas ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ is non-variegated with blue-greenfoliage. ‘Cat and Mouse’ can also be compared to ‘Frosted Mouse Ears’(non patented), and ‘Holy Mouse Ears’ (non patented). ‘Frosted MouseEars’ differs from ‘Cat and Mouse’ by having blue-green leaves thatemerge in the spring with creamy-white margins that turn white insummer. ‘Holy Mouse Ears’ differs from ‘Cat and Mouse’ by having leaveswith creamy white centers in the spring that turn white in summer withthe centered variegation pattern surrounded by blue-green margins.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the distinct foliagecharacteristics of the new Hosta. The photographs of ‘Cat and Mouse’were of plants grown outdoors in Waseca, Minn.

The photograph in FIG. 1. was taken of a four year-old plant in mid Juneand illustrates the spring foliage.

The photograph in FIG. 2 was taken of a three year-old plant in earlyJuly and illustrates the flowers and summer foliage.

The colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describethe colors of the new Hosta.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of three year-old plants of thenew cultivar as grown outdoors in a trial garden in Waseca, Minn. Thephenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental,climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under allpossible environmental conditions. The color determination is inaccordance with the 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal HorticulturalSociety, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinarydictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—About 2–3 weeks in early summer.        -   Plant habit.—Herbaceous perennial, clump-forming, upright            mounded habit with cascading leaves.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches about 7.6 cm in height (excluding            flower scapes) and about 15.2 cm in width.        -   Hardiness.—U.S.D.A. Zones 3 to 8.        -   Culture.—Light to full shade, moist soils of moderate            fertility.        -   Diseases and pests.—Thick substance confers resistance to            slugs, no susceptibility or resistance to diseases or other            pests has been observed.        -   Root description.—Freely branched, fleshy.        -   Propagation.—In vitro propagation is the preferred method            utilizing typical methods for Hosta, division is also            possible.        -   Root development.—Rooted transplants from tissue culture            fully develop in a 96-cell liner in about 6 to 8 weeks in a            greenhouse with average temperatures of about 70° F.        -   Growth rate.—Slow to moderate.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Round.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Round.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute.        -   Leaf venation.—7 to 8 pairs of veins, camptodrome pattern,            color matches leaf coloration.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire and flat (not undulated).        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Basal, radiate spirally from base.        -   Leaf surface.—Glaucous on upper surface and highly glaucous            on lower surface.        -   Leaf substance.—Thick.        -   Leaf orientation.—Held nearly horizontal with the apex            curved downward on petioles held upright at about a 45°            angle.        -   Leaf color.—Spring foliage, upper surface; centers blend of            143D and 145D, margins N137A with glaucous coating of 189C,            intermediate area 139C, spring foliage lower surface;            centers 138C, margins 138B, summer foliage upper surface;            centers 149D suffused with 138C, margins 138A, intermediate            area between 138B and 138C, summer foliage lower surface;            centers 138C, margins 138B.        -   Leaf size.—Average of 5 cm in length and width when mature.        -   Leaf quantity.—About 7 to 8 per shoot (eye).        -   Petioles.—Sulcate in shape, 3.8 to 5 cm in length, an            average of 8 mm in width, color 144A, surface is glaucous.-   Flower scape description:    -   -   Scape shape.—Round, solid.        -   Scape number.—One per mature eye under normal growing            conditions.        -   Scape posture.—Erect, strong.        -   Scape size.—Average of 8.5 cm in length and 4 mm in width.        -   Scape color.—Blend of 143D and 145D becoming 138B in late            summer.        -   Scape surface.—Glaucous.        -   Scape bracts.—Not present.        -   Inflorescence type.—Terminal racemes of single bell-shaped            flowers.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—About 2 to 3 weeks from first            opening bloom to fading of last opening bloom, individual            blooms last about one day.        -   Flower shape.—Bell-shaped.        -   Flower number.—Average of 10 per scape.        -   Flower internode length.—Average of 1.2 cm.        -   Flower fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flower bud shape.—Spathulate.        -   Flower bud size.—About 1.5 cm in length and 8 mm in            diameter.        -   Flower bud color.—85D with vertical lines of 85A.        -   Flower size.—About 2 cm in length and about 1.5 cm in            diameter.        -   Pedicels.—About 1.5 cm in length, 1.2 mm in diameter, color            145B, surface is glaucous.        -   Perianth features.—Comprised of 6 tepals, 3 interior and 3            exterior, overlapping in expanded region and fused in tube            region.        -   Tepal shape.—Spatulate.        -   Tepal size.—About 1.9 cm in length, about 9 mm in width.        -   Tepal color.—Outer surface; 155C with upper portion suffused            with 91D and with vertical lines of 85B, inner surface; 155C            with upper portion suffused with 85B with vertical lines of            85A.        -   Tepal texture.—Glabrous.        -   Tepal margin.—Entire.        -   Tepal base.—Fused.        -   Tepal apex.—Acute.        -   Floral bracts.—1 per flower, oblanceolate in shape,            apiculate apex, truncate base, glabrous on both surfaces,            average of 1 cm in length and 5 mm in width, color of both            surfaces 144B.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—1 Pistil, style is about 1.6 cm in length, 1.5 mm            in width and 145D in color, stigma is 145C in color, ovary            is superior, compound, composed of 3 locules, oblong in            shape, about 4 mm in length and 2 mm in width, and 145A in            color.        -   Androecium.—6 stamens, filaments are 155C in color, 1.5 cm            in length, 0.7 mm in width, anthers are 2 mm in length, 0.6            mm in width, attachment is versatile, 200A in color,            dehiscence is longitudinal, pollen is low in quantity and            162B in color.        -   Fruit and seed.—No seed pods were formed when grown under            garden conditions where normal seed set was observed for            other Hosta hybrids.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hosta plant named ‘Cat and Mouse’ asherein illustrated and described.